Football Stadium-Sized Asteroid to Make Its Closest Approach to Earth
An asteroid the size of a football stadium will make its closest approach to Earth in recorded history early Sunday morning, December 4, or in the early hours of December 5, offering stargazers a rare celestial spectacle.
Traveling at a blistering 27,500 miles per hour, the asteroid, officially designated 2020 XR20, will come within 1.37 million miles of our planet. This close encounter is a rare astronomical event, and although the asteroid poses no threat to Earth, it offers a valuable opportunity for scientists to study these celestial objects.
A Historic Flyby
This flyby marks 2020 XR20’s closest approach to Earth since its discovery in December 2023. When astronomers initially spotted the asteroid, its trajectory raised concerns, but further observations and analysis revealed its trajectory posed no threat.
“When astronomers first discovered 2020 XR20, it was classified as ‘potentially hazardous,'” said a representative from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. “But by going back in time and finding the asteroid in old data, they were able to refine its trajectory and rule out any danger.”
Watching the Cosmos Live
For those interested in witnessing this celestial event, the Virtual Telescope Project (VTP) will be hosting a free live stream starting at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, December 3. The asteroid will also be visible through telescopes with an aperture of at least 8 inches.
A Massive Celestial Visitor
2020 XR20 measures approximately 1,200 feet in diameter, large enough to obliterate a small city. It will show up as a tiny point of light to the naked eye, but its immense size makes it a fascinating object for astronomical study.
This close approach will allow scientists to gather more data about the asteroid’s composition, its motion, and its rotation. Such studies can contribute to our understanding of the history and formation of our solar system.
Future Encounters
2020 XR20 is not expected to come this close to Earth again until at least 2196. It will next fly past our planet in November 2028, but at a significantly greater distance.
This weekend’s flyby serves as a reminder of the vastness and dynamism of the cosmos, offering a glimpse into the fascinating world of asteroids and their close relationships with our planet.
What are the dimensions of asteroid 2020 XR20?
## Close Encounter: An Asteroid Flies Past Earth
**Interviewer**: Welcome back to the show! We’re talking about a pretty exciting event happening in the sky tonight, a close flyby of a rather large asteroid. To help us understand what’s going on, we have Dr. Emily Carter, an astrophysicist from the National Space Observatory, joining us tonight. Dr. Carter, thanks for being here.
**Dr. Carter**: It’s my pleasure to be here.
**Interviewer**: So, tell us about this asteroid. It’s described as football stadium sized. Can you give us a better sense of its scale?
**Dr. Carter**: Absolutely. Asteroid 2020 XR20 is estimated to be about a kilometer in diameter, which is roughly the size of a large stadium. It’s a sizable chunk of rock, to be sure.
**Interviewer**: And this is its closest approach to Earth?
**Dr. Carter**: That’s right. While it’s been tracked for a few years, this is 2020 XR20’s closest pass in recorded history.
**Interviewer**: How close is it actually going to get?
**Dr. Carter**: Well, it will still be quite a distance away, around 1.37 million miles from Earth. That may sound like a lot, and it is in terms of our everyday experience, but in astronomical terms, it’s considered a relatively close approach.
**Interviewer**: And, what can scientists learn from studying an asteroid like this?
**Dr. Carter**: These close encounters offer us fantastic opportunities to study asteroids in detail. We can learn about their composition, their structure, and even their potential origins in the early solar system.
**Interviewer**: So, even though it poses no threat to Earth, this is still a significant event.
**Dr. Carter**: Exactly. It’s a reminder of the vastness of space and the countless objects that share our cosmic neighborhood. It also highlights the importance of ongoing asteroid detection and tracking efforts to ensure we have a good understanding of any potential threats in the future.
**Interviewer**: Dr. Carter, thank you for sharing your expertise with us tonight!
**Dr. Carter**: My pleasure.
